A novel islanding detection method based on minute asymmetrical current injection for three-phase grid-connected PV inverters

An active anti-islanding method based on the current control for a three-phase grid-connected PV inverter is proposed in this paper. The current of phase a is synchronous with the corresponding voltage at the common coupling point in its positive half cycle, and a zero-current zone is inserted into the end of the cycle in a negative half cycle. As for phase c, the zero-current zone is inserted in the positive half cycle of the current, and the current of phase c in a negative half cycle is synchronous with the corresponding voltage. Therefore the currents of phase a and c in one cycle become asymmetrical slightly. Before the islanding takes place, because of the operation of utility voltage the positive and negative half cycles of three-phase voltages are symmetrical. While the islanding occurs, the time differences between the positive and negative half cycles of the voltages of phase a and c will generate and the islanding is detected in accordance with the repetitive cycles fulfilling the conditions of the time differences. On the basis of the above analysis for three-phase four-wire power systems, three-phase three-wire systems are designed. The experiment on a 0.3 kW PV inverter system connected to 200 V/50 Hz utility are carried out, and it is verified that the method can detect the islanding for the parallel RLC loads even if the voltage frequency is within the non-detection zone. It is seen from the analysis of the detecting principle that there is no influence on the proposed method even if a large load connected in parallel frequently starts up or stops.